A Full Moon Only Brings Bad Luck
by Blade Quill
Summary: Part 5 of the Violet Starscape Series: News of Tsujigiri sparks fear in Edo, and Kagura is brought face to face with Takasugi, the man who was her original reason for coming to Edo [Benizakura Arc AU]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N As always, please read the previous parts of the series before reading this one.**

 **For the Benizakura Arc, I combined elements of the TV episodes, the animated movie, and the live action movie, particularly since I wanted to incorporate the Shinsengumi more prominently like they were in the live action. I hope you all enjoy!**

 _Dear Papi,_

 _I hope my letters have been reaching you and that they will find you in good health and spirits. It's been almost a month since you left Edo and two weeks since my last letter so I thought I would fill you in on what I have been up to all this time._

 _Last week, there was an incident with Sadaharu. I know I never got to introduce you to him, but he's an amazing giant dog, who can play with me without getting hurt. It turns out, he's something called an Inugami. Even Gin-chan and Shinpachi had no idea about it, but after he drank some of Gin-chan's strawberry milk, he turned into a giant monster. I was keeping an eye on him, but some of the people here in Edo got scared and tried to hurt him. I tried to stop it but I got hit instead, and then Sadaharu turned into a really scary monster to protect me. We managed to fix it though, and Sadaharu is now fine and a lot gentler than he used to be._

 _Only a day later, the Shinsengumi had a bad raid, so the Chief had some ideas to improve our image in the public eye. He hired Otsu-chan, who is a top idol here in Edo, and asked her to be the Chief for the day yesterday to lift the spirit of the troops and bring up our image. I don't understand the whole PR thing really, but Otsu-chan was nice, and she has a weird way of speaking which I really like, necromancer! It was fun to have her as the Chief, until some Joushishi decided to kidnap her and other women to get back at the Shinsengumi. Fortunately, we managed to stop them, before things got too out of hand as they usually do when the Shinsengumi gets involved._

 _I had my final checkup with Dr. Nishimura as well, and she has now given me a completely clean bill of health, even though I have been fine for a while. I think she's just a bit of a worrywart. I am working hard at my new job with the Shinsengumi.. I even have a salary and a proper bank account. It's actually a little fun to be a productive member of society. I am glad I decided to stay, and I am really happy that you trust me enough to get stronger, even when I am away from you. I am sorry if I said anything that was out of line when you were here, and I know you don't think that I am like Kamui. I intend to get stronger and protect those that need my help, and I will never harm anyone if I can help it. I promise you that, Papi._

 _I will write more when I get the chance. I hope you are having fun with your missions and are keeping safe. Please don't lose any more of your hair._

 _Your loving daughter,_

 _Kagura_.

* * *

Yuusuke was only a recent recruit to the Shinsengumi, so it went without saying that there was still a lot he was unaware of. He had trained in a small dojo outside of Kyo, and come to Edo specifically to join the Shinsengumi. Only a week since he had moved into the compound, he was barely getting used to being around so many different kinds of people.

"Yuu-kun, are you doing well?" asked Inuyama, one of the senior members in his squad. The older man had taken Yuusuke under his wing and he could not have been happier about having the quiet, thoughtful man as his mentor.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you, Inuyama-san," said Yuusuke, with a bright smile. "How was your day?"

Inuyama sighed as he took a seat at the same table as Yuusuke with his tray of dinner. "Hectic, as it always is, when we train with the First Division," he answered.

"Eh, I'm jealous," said Yuusuke. "To get to work with Okita- _taichou_ must be like a dream come true." He missed Inuyama's look of pity since he looked down to take a bite of his dinner. "I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to train with the First Division."

"All in good time, Yuu-kun," said Inuyama, starting his dinner.

"I'm so glad I get to be here in time for dinner this once," said Yuusuke. "I have been on the second shift since I started."

"Don't overwork yourself," said Inuyama. "It's only your first week. Be sure to eat and sleep well, or it will bite you later."

Yuusuke opened his mouth to assure his mentor he would be fine, when he saw a few of the people in the mess hall start whispering and leaving quickly. At first, he thought it must have been an emergency of some kind, but then he noticed that they were from different divisions and included several officers and spies as well as regular members.

"What's going on?" he wondered out loud.

Inuyama glanced back and then checked his watch. "Ah, it's almost time," he said, finishing his dinner with such haste that he might as well have inhaled it.

"Time for what?" asked Yuusuke, bewildered.

Inuyama smiled at him, his eyes glinting. "You should see for yourself," he said. "Especially if you want to work with Okita- _taichou_ so badly."

That made no sense to Yuusuke but he quickly finished his dinner and cleared up the tray before running after Inuyama. Most of the crowd seemed to be going to the dojo, and when he followed them, he realised that they were sitting outside the dojo. All the doors of the dojo had been thrown open to allow them an unhindered glimpse inside.

"Yuu-kun, over here," called Inuyama, beckoning him to where he was sitting with some of the officers, and members of the First Division.

Yuusuke joined him, still confused. "Inuyama-san, what's going on?" he asked.

"Shh," said a man on Inuyama's right whom he recognised as the Tenth Division Captain Harada. "It's starting."

"Wha-?" he began asking, when he noticed that there were people inside the dojo.

One of them was easily recognisable to him as Okita Sougo, the First Division Captain. The other was someone Yuusuke had never seen before.

"Is that a-a g-girl?" he asked, staring at the really beautiful vermillion-haired girl dressed like a china doll.

She and Okita were stood facing each other, their expressions calm though he had his sword out, while she only had an umbrella in her hand.

"That's Kagura-san," Inuyama muttered to him in a low voice.

"Are they going to fight?" asked Yuusuke, righteous indignation filling his tone. "The First Division Captain is going up against an unarmed girl?"

His words made the people around him laugh and shake their heads, which confused him further. How were they all alright with this? He'd thought the Shinsengumi would have more honour than men claiming to be samurai enjoying an innocent, defenceless girl being pitted in a duel against a trained prodigy.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud clap of weapons clashing, and whatever words he was going to say evaporated from his mind when he saw Okita Sougo get nearly brought down to his knees by a single blow dealt by the girl's umbrella. His jaw dropped as the Captain pushed back and the two began sparring in earnest, their movements so sharp and fast that Yuusuke felt he couldn't blink or he would miss something vital happening.

"Kagura-san is a Yato," he heard Inuyama whisper to him. "She and Okita- _taichou_ spar like this almost every day, so, last month a few of us asked them if it would be alright to observe them. He's about the only one who can keep up with her."

Yuusuke could believe it. The two were incredibly matched in their skill, despite their vastly different weapons. He didn't know much about Yato, except they were very, very strong, and Kagura seemed to be no exception. Yuusuke couldn't believe that only moments ago he had thought the fierce hellcat giving Shinsengumi's best such a difficult time to be similar to a china doll.

"Did I miss much?"

Yuusuke glanced back as Kamiyama from the First Division slipped into an empty spot behind him.

"No, it's just started," Inuyama answered. "They've only been going for ten minutes."

"Oh, good, I have plenty more time," said Kamiyama.

"H-how long do they spar?" asked Yuusuke, almost afraid to ask but curious just the same.

"Depends," answered Kamiyama. "I think the record is two and a half hours."

"They went for four hours last week," said Yamazaki, whom Yuusuke hadn't noticed before.

"Four hours, really?" asked Harada, sounding impressed.

Yuusuke was more than impressed at that too. He certainly didn't have that sort of a stamina, and suddenly Inuyama's tiredness after training with Okita all day made more sense. The man was a monster if he could keep up with an Amanto from the strongest race in the galaxy.

The next two hours passed in almost a daze for Yuusuke, whose jaw had dropped lower and lower as time had gone on, and Okita and Kagura had continued to beat the ever loving hell out of one another until they were both bruised and bleeding. Somewhere along the way, the weapons had been tossed away for a brutal hand-to-hand fight, and Yuusuke had to hold back a wince at every hit, especially when Okita got hit because it looked truly painful. He couldn't believe he had started this fight being concerned for Kagura, when he clearly should have been worrying for the First Division Captain.

Okita, though, showed no signs of backing down. If anything, Yuusuke thought he was rather enjoying the fight. Kagura too, since she had not stopped smiling for the last hour, despite how vicious the fight was getting. Yuusuke had no experience with romance or even friendship with a girl, having been around boys at the dojo all his life, but he thought the two of them had to be really close to be able to fight each other while smiling like that.

When the fight finally ended and everyone began to disperse, Yuusuke remained behind as he observed the two people. He couldn't hear what they were saying before, but now as he moved in closer, he could listen to their conversation clearly.

"...almost had you too, you damn piggy," Okita was saying.

"Hah, in your dreams, you sadistic chihuahua," Kagura shot back. "Be grateful I didn't break your arm that time I…"

"Really? You're just going to ignore the time I could have stabbed you through the heart, you damn brat?" he demanded.

"Only if you are pretending to ignore the time I could have kicked you straight in the teeth so you would be on-"

They walked right past Yuusuke as they left the dojo together, exchanging insults and breaking down the specifics of their fight, being so absorbed with one another that they didn't even notice him. Yuusuke blinked in confusion after they disappeared towards the back of the compound which he'd been told was out of bounds and he now understood had to be near Kagura's room. What confused him further was that Okita went with her, and it made Yuusuke blush.

Just how close were these two supposed to be again?

* * *

"It's actually getting a little colder now, eh?" asked Kagura, as she and Sougo walked together down the side of the river. It was part of their beat and they were on patrol that day.

"Yeah," said Sougo. "It's almost November."

They heard footsteps running up to them and rounded the corner just in time to run into Gintoki, who stopped suddenly in his tracks.

"Gin-chan, what are you doing?" asked Kagura, surprised at his dishevelled appearance.

"Oh, good, here," he said, handing her what seemed like a bundle of clothes. "Keep him safe until I come to get him."

Without pausing, he kept running, leaving Kagura with the bundle in her arms. The bundle then moved slightly, and she almost shrieked when she saw that there was a baby in there.

"Oi, wait!" called Kagura, but Gintoki had already vanished. "What are we supposed to do?" she asked Sougo, who looked just as bewildered as her.

Sougo shrugged. "Throw it into the river, I guess," he said. Kagura made an outraged sound and pulled the baby closer to her and away from Sougo, which made him roll his eyes. "I was joking, China." He looked at the baby closely and frowned. "Is it just me or does this look exactly like _danna_?"

"Huh?" asked Kagura confused, but when she saw the baby properly there was no mistaking the silver curly hair and the dead-fish eyes that were exactly like Gintoki's. "I didn't know Gin-chan had a baby," she murmured, shocked.

"I don't think he did either if he just ditched it with us," said Sougo.

"Gin-chan wouldn't do that," snapped Kagura, and then rocked the baby gently. "He was running like someone was after him."

"Probably the baby's mother since it was unlikely he was paying child support," said Sougo.

Unfortunately, their question was answered when they ran into a group of heavily armed men around the next corner. They looked shocked to see her and Sougo, but when they realised she was holding the baby, they advanced on her, only to be met with the glint of steel as Sougo drew his sword.

"Audacious, aren't we?" he said, his voice lazy though you would be stupid to miss the threat in it. "Attacking a girl and a baby in broad daylight in front of a policeman, no less."

"You're outnumbered," said one of the men, clearly the one with a deathwish. "Give us the baby."

Kagura gave the baby a small smile and held him securely to herself. "No chance in hell," she said, plainly.

"See what you did?" asked Sougo. "Now she is going all maternal."

"You Bakufu dogs don't scare us," said another, probably even stupider than the first one. "You scum who bowed down to Amanto have no right to call yourselves samurai."

"Hear that, China?" asked Sougo, a small smirk blooming on his face.

"They're Jouishishi," realised Kagura.

"And proud of it," said the first man. "Cutting down someone from the Shinsengumi is only the cherry on top."

"Do you remember your lessons, China?" asked Sougo, getting into his fighting stance.

Kagura didn't miss a beat. "The special powers granted to Shinsengumi by the Shogun," she said. "When confronted by Jouishishi, deadly force is authorised."

"Very good," said Sougo.

It was over quickly after that. Sougo cut through the men with a scary speed and accuracy. Kagura kept out of the way out of concern for the child, kicking the errant opponent if they managed to stumble past Sougo's attacks.

"That's that," said Sougo, once the last man had fallen. "I'll call it in."

"You think this is who Gin-chan was running from?" asked Kagura.

"Maybe," he said.

"What do you mean, maybe?" she asked, surprised.

"They weren't much of a challenge to me, so I'm sure _danna_ would have no trouble dealing with them," he said.

"Yeah, but he was probably thinking of the baby," said Kagura, noticing that he seemed to be unperturbed and wasn't crying or fussing at all. "Are all human babies so calm?"

"Why are you asking me? How should I know?" asked Sougo.

"You're human, aren't you?" she asked. "Or were, anyway, before you turned into a sadistic demon?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "I have no experience with children," he said. "What about you? What are Yato babies like?"

"Very strong," said Kagura. "Papi told stories of how I broke his jaw once when I accidentally kicked him. My Mami said it was because he was gone so often that I'd forgotten what he looked like and decided to kick him when he took me from Kamui."

"Kamui?" he asked, curiously. "That's your brother, huh?"

At his look of surprise, she smiled a little. "He wasn't always a criminal, you know," she said. "He looked after me most when I was young because Papi was always away and Mami was sick."

There was an odd expression on his face, and Kagura wondered what he was thinking. "How did he go from raising you to a space criminal?" he asked, finally.

Kagura looked shocked at his blunt question, and even Sougo seemed briefly taken aback at his own audaciousness, but she shrugged and decided to answer.

"Do you remember my Papi's arm?" she asked.

"Yeah, the prosthetic one, right?" asked Sougo, leaning against the alley wall opposite her as they waited for the cleanup crew to arrive.

"Mm," nodded Kagura. "Kamui took Papi's real arm when we were kids."

"Not in an accident, I presume?" he asked, his voice level.

"No," said Kagura. "Papi told me later that there is an old Yato tradition where you're supposed to kill your parents to prove you are strong. No one practices it anymore, but Kamui...I guess, he just…" She trailed off, wondering why she was telling Sougo, of all people.

She heard him sigh and looked up. He was rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. "Sorry to hear that," he mumbled.

Kagura blinked in shock. "Thanks," she said, taken aback. "Anyway, he didn't manage to kill any of us, and Papi didn't kill him, so I guess it could have been worse."

"What do you mean?" asked Sougo. "Your father would have killed him?"

Kagura went red at her slip of tongue, but then sighed. "Remember when we first worked together I told you about Yato instinct?" she asked, deciding to give him the answers honestly now that it had come up. At his nod, she continued. "I didn't know this myself until recently, but Papi told me that when Kamui took his arm, they had both been consumed by the Yato blood. They would have killed each other. I was too young to remember everything, but I remember holding onto Papi so he wouldn't hurt Kamui. Papi told me last year that if I hadn't stopped him, he would have killed Kamui right then and there."

She jumped in shock when she felt Sougo take the baby from her arms and hold it. She looked at him in surprise, but he avoided her gaze.

"You're shaking and I don't want you to drop the baby," he muttered.

Kagura glanced down at her hands and realised that they were indeed shaking. Clenching her fists, she crossed her arms and looked away in embarrassment. They stood in the alleyway full of fallen Jouishishi, holding a baby and looking away from each other in silence for a few long moments, before they heard the ninth squad arriving.

Leaving the cleanup to them and dodging any questions about the baby, Kagura and Sougo left and returned to a bench by the riverside. Sougo set the baby down on the bench between them, and the two sat in awkward silence for a few moments.

"Is your mother-?" he asked, finally and Kagura jumped a little.

"Yeah, she died a while back from illness," she admitted softly.

"Sorry," he said. "I don't really remember my parents, but I know it has to be hard."

"I'm sorry about your parents," said Kagura, feeling a bit at ease now that she wasn't the only one opening up. "So, who raised you?"

"My older sister," he said, and she was surprised to see a smile of such genuine emotion on his face that she quickly had to look away because it made him look (and she wanted to knock herself out for even thinking it) really handsome.

"D-does she live in Bushu still?" asked Kagura, after clearing her throat.

"Yeah," he said, and then hesitated briefly. "Her health is weak, so the country is better for her."

"What is she like?" asked Kagura, curiously.

"She's the best person in the world," he said, like he was stating an unshakeable fact.

Kagura felt her lips twitch into a smile, though there was a part of her that ached to know how it felt to have an older sibling who didn't hate their younger sibling. Sougo seemed to love his sister immensely and she was curious about the woman who had raised him.

There was the sound of someone jumping out from behind them and they both turned around quickly. Kagura held her umbrella in one hand, ready to attack, while her free hand hovered protectively over the baby. She was surprised to see that Sougo was almost like a mirror reflection of her as he held his sword in one hand and had his other hand near hers to protect the baby.

Thankfully, it was only Gintoki, and they both relaxed their stances. "Gin-chan, what's going on?" asked Kagura.

"That's what I'd like to know too," he sighed, picking up the baby and sitting down on the bench with them. He briefly explained how the baby had been left on his doorstep and the men chasing him to get to the baby for some reason.

"They were Jouishishi and shouldn't be a problem anymore, _danna_ ," said Sougo.

Gintoki looked a little surprised, but nodded. "I think I know where the trail leads, so I'm going to take him back to his mother now," he said, getting to his feet. "Thanks for looking after him."

"Is it something we should be officially getting involved in?" asked Sougo, raising an eyebrow.

"Best to not do it," said Gintoki. "It was enough that you took care of those henchmen."

Kagura wanted to protest, but stopped when she remembered what Sougo had told her. Clearly, he put a lot of stock in Gintoki's strength and fighting prowess, and Kagura herself had to admit that the few times she had seen him in action, Gintoki had been unstoppable. It was a little funny how she kept forgetting how her instincts had responded to him when they had first met. Now that she knew him better as a person, Kagura had to keep reminding herself that Gintoki was one of the few people in Edo who was likely stronger than her.

The matter ended there and when she saw Gintoki next, he assured her that the baby hadn't been his, and was now safe with the proper family. He had been a little bandaged up and told her that there had been a particularly tough opponent he'd had to defeat in the process of getting young Kanshichirou back to his mother.

Edo continued to grow colder as October came to an end, and Kagura had to marvel at the fact that she had been there for nearly four months already. Now that she was there to stay, she no longer had to worry about falling in love with the city and could embrace it, quirks and all, into her heart.

Unbeknownst to her, things were about to get dangerous once again.

* * *

Kawakami Bansai played the shamisen almost listlessly and everyone, except the people who knew him best, would have thought he was not paying attention to his surroundings at all. A pair of blue headphones blasted Terakado Tsu's latest single into his ears, the tune mimicked by his own shamisen. Behind the dark sunglasses, the shrewd light brown eyes took stock of his target.

It made him want to sigh, really. Such an interesting tune, but a dangerous one, without question. He stopped playing the shamisen and stood up slowly, returning to give his report. Evening had fallen by the time he reached the ship, and he found the man he was looking for out on the deck, smoking lightly in the moonlight. The moon wasn't quite full yet, but would be in a day or two.

"So?" asked the man, blowing smoke from his lips.

"It is a night rabbit, indeed," said Bansai. "Shinsuke, there is no doubt in my mind that she is capable of destroying the Harusame ship that blew up here in Edo a few months ago."

Takasugi Shinsuke turned around, lips curling into a smirk. "Ah," he said. "That should be enough to convince them, shouldn't it?"

Bansai nodded firmly. "The Harusame could only gather that a single Amanto destroyed their ship, and if we go to them with the confirmation of the culprit's identity, they would stand with us when the Benizakura swords are ready," he said.

Takasugi chuckled. "Very well," he said. "Go on and convince them."

Bansai bowed in acceptance. "I'll leave at once, then," he said.

"Bansai," called Takasugi, when he turned to leave. "What did you think of the night rabbit?"

Bansai contemplated his response carefully. "As if she were Kaguya-hime of the moon, frolicking among the Earthlings and pretending to be one of them," he said. "A ballad doomed to end in nothing but tragedy."

Takasugi said nothing to it and just continued smoking, and Bansai took it to mean that he was dismissed. He readied himself for his voyage, ready to do his duty for Shinsuke and the Kiheitai.

* * *

"Another one cut down in the streets last night," said Hijikata.

"How many does that make now?" asked Kondo, practicing his sword in the courtyard. While it was something he usually preferred to do naked, he was dressed today out of consideration for Kagura.

"Eight," said Hijikata, smoking out on the _engawa_. "We haven't been asked to step in yet, but if the Tsujigiri continues…"

"What is it exactly?" asked Kagura, from where she was sitting next to Hijikata.

"It's a practice banned a long time ago," said Sougo. He was taking a nap inside the meeting room, his creepy mask covering his eyes as usual. "Samurai would cut down people to test a new blade."

"If the Tsujigiri isn't enough of a pain, we have another problem," said Hijikata, and sighed a little. "There's intel that Takasugi has come to Edo, this time with the intention of going to war."

Kagura sat up at the mention of Takasugi, and even Sougo took off his eye mask.

"Finally," said Sougo, sitting up and drawing his sword. "My blood's been itching to cut him down since he escaped us the last time."

"Do we know what he plans to do?" asked Kondo, sharply.

Hijikata exhaled. "Rumour has it that he recruited Hitokiri Nizou," he said. "Along with the sharpshooter Kijima Matako, strategist Takechi Henpeita, and that mysterious Kawakami Bansai. I'd bet he is trying to rebuild the Kiheitai."

"His army from the old Joui war?" asked Kondo.

"If he did indeed recruit all these people, it's safe to say he will be making a move soon, and it will be a big one," said Hijikata, gravely. "The worst case scenario is that he unites all the Joui factions in Edo to stage a coup d'etat."

"Does he really have that much of an influence?" asked Sougo.

"It's said that Takasugi and Katsura were two of the Joui Shitennou," said Hijikata. "Katsura's faction is more moderate, but if the war buddies were to team up, it will be bad for all of us. Kondo-san, Takasugi is a dangerous one."

"I see," said Kondo. "Use all the resources we can on this one and dispatch the spies. Since the Tsujigiri matter is being handled by the local cops, we should focus on Takasugi instead."

"China, you got any ideas?" asked Sougo, noticing that Kagura had been quiet.

Kagura jumped a little as if startled out of a reverie. "I'm not sure yet," she answered slowly. "I'll start investigating."

* * *

"Say, Abuto, what is that, exactly?"

Abuto glanced to where their beloved captain was looking and suppressed a sigh. "They're called samurai, _dancho_ ," he said. "They come from a part of Earth."

"Eh, really?" intoned Kamui, his gaze fixed on the man with the teal hair, dressed in green and carrying a strange weapon that looked like some sort of a musical instrument. "And what's he doing here?"

"He said he came to offer valuable intelligence," said Abuto.

"Such a boring reason for someone who looks so interesting," said Kamui, eyes glittering.

Abuto smirked to himself and leaned in to speak. "I heard Admiral Abo mentioning it had something to do with the incident in Edo, the land of samurai," he said. "Do you remember? They had the whole incident a couple of months ago when their ship, crew and all merchandise was destroyed."

"Again, not interesting," shrugged Kamui. "So these samurai are just a little daring, are they?"

"Who knows?" shrugged Abuto. "But the rumour was that only a single Amanto was responsible."

He knew it would work like a spell, and immediately, Kamui's _ahoge_ twitched like an antenna as he sat up. "By one person?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Abuto. "Apparently, that samurai over there is here to offer up information on who the Amanto is."

Kamui tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment. "Abuto," he said, seriously. "I want to know that information. And tell Admiral Aho-I mean, Abo, that the Seventh Division is willing to deal with this if the need arises."

Abuto nodded, having expected something of the sort already. "I'll do that, _dancho_ ," he said. "In the meantime, keep your head down and don't get into a fight with our guests."

Kamui only gave him a bright smile in response.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagura shivered a little, as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. Every one of her nerves was on edge, for reasons that were incomprehensible at the moment. She had spent all day trying to find Takasugi, but was unable to maintain focus long enough on her instincts to seek him out. She and Sougo had parted ways after lunch, and she was currently attempting to regain focus by taking a walk to clear her head. It was important that they find Takasugi, or at least what he was planning to do in Edo. Kagura felt more responsible than ever, particularly since Takasugi was her target. It was the whole reason why she had come to Edo, and partly why she had stayed.

She was debating whether or not she should track down either Gintoki or Zura to see if they knew anything, when she spotted Shinpachi on a bridge by the river, speaking to an odd duck-like alien.

"Hey, Shinpachi," said Kagura, as she approached them. She eyed the alien warily, wondering what kind of Amanto that was supposed to be.

"Kagura-chan, what are you doing here?" asked Shinpachi.

"Taking a walk," she said. "Who's your friend?"

The duck-like Amanto held up a sign that read 'We're not friends.'

"Elizabeth-san is a friend of Katsura-san's," said Shinpachi, lowering his voice.

"Where's Zura?" asked Kagura.

At her question, both Shinpachi and Elizabeth looked downcast. "He's missing," Shinpachi finally said. "With news of Tsujigiri, we're understandably concerned."

Kagura nodded, biting her lip in worry. "What about Gin-chan?" she asked.

Shinpachi rolled his eyes. "He is out on a different job," he said.

"It won't be easy to take down someone like Zura," said Kagura. "I'm sure he's fine. I'll keep an eye out for him, just the same."

"Thank you, Kagura-chan," said Shinpachi gratefully, as Elizabeth held up a sign that also said 'thank you'.

Kagura waved to them and continued on her walk, her mind reeling. She remembered that the Tsujigiri went after ronin, so Zura was a good target, but the fact that a body hadn't turned up meant that she was inclined to believe he was still alive. Perhaps injured, but definitely not dead.

With him gone for the time being and Gintoki out doing something else, Kagura wondered what other leads she could track down to find Takasugi. He had already escaped her once, and she had no intention of letting it happen again. Especially not after the fight with her father to stay in Edo and her newfound determination to become the best alien hunter in the galaxy in her own way. There had to be something she could do, some way she could get to Takasugi and take him down before he hurt Edo in any way.

It didn't help that she wasn't sleeping well these days. At first, she had dismissed it as an aftermath of the intense fight with her father, but it had continued after she had healed. Unlike all the other times when she had nightmares or just plain old insomnia, this time she was staying up because she was thinking about her mother. She usually preferred not to dwell on painful memories, but surprisingly, it wasn't painful to think about her mother these days. Kagura was taking it as a sign that she was growing up.

Day after day of Kagura's childhood had been spent sitting in a chair by her mother's bedside, watching her breathing with sharp eyes. Even when she would sleep, Kagura would cuddle up to her, not just because she wanted to be close to her, but because she would know if she stopped breathing. It had become common practice after Kamui had left and the gaps between Papi coming home grew longer and longer.

These days, however, Kagura was remembering the conversations she would have with her mother on days she felt well enough to sit up without coughing up blood or passing out immediately. Though it may only have been for a short amount of time, her mother had been responsible for the values instilled in Kagura. Her bald idiot of a father and murderous idiot of a brother would have probably turned out better if they'd just spent more time with her Mami, because she was the wisest person Kagura had ever met.

When Matsudaira's request had come to Umibozu, Kagura had insisted on going because it had been her mother's wish to go to Earth. It would be without the rest of her idiot family, but at least, she would get to the go to the planet that had been in her mother's last words. She hadn't been naive enough to think that going to Earth would provide her with some magical answers, but a part of her had pinned her hopes on this tiny planet, and by some miracle, she had managed to build a nest for herself here. It may be temporary, it may be blown off the tree completely in a single moment, but it was there to stay for the time being.

The thought bolstered Kagura's resolve, and it made her think of her mother's words on how a family might be built from fools and idiots but as long as they stood with you through good times and bad, it was all worth it. It gave her hope that she would be strong enough to pull her old family back together and show them the life she was building slowly in Edo, and that the three of them could stand on this little blue planet together. Impossible and naive as it all seemed, she had been kept up all night by her determination to become strong enough to do all of that.

If she were to achieve that impossible, naive dream of hers, then she had to fight each battle as it came her way. And this time, her battle was Takasugi.

Her thoughts kept spiralling as she walked, and she barely noticed it when it got dark. She rounded a corner and ran straight into someone, shocked to realise that it was Sougo.

"You done moping?" he asked.

She stared at him. "I wasn't moping," snapped Kagura, recovering hastily and wondering if she had been so distracted that she hadn't noticed him keeping an eye on her.

"Yeah, you were," he said. "I don't know why, but you were." When she continued to glare at him, he sighed. "Whatever you're worrying about, stop doing it. You work best when you're charging in like a boar."

"I need a lead to charge at something," said Kagura, rolling her eyes.

"I might have found one," he said. "Well, I think I have one anyway."

"What does that mean?" asked Kagura.

He nodded at her to walk with him, as they went towards their usual spot by the riverbank to talk. As they settled down on the bench, Kagura wondered when the hell this random spot on the riverbank had become 'their spot'.

"Something about the Tsujigiri seemed off to me," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Kagura, confused.

"The timing was too coincidental," he said. "All those killings, just around the time we get Takasugi coming back to Edo, so I decided to look into it. The local police reports were enlightening."

"You found a connection?" she asked, eyes going wide.

"Not exactly," he said. "There were witnesses to almost all of the attacks and they all say the same thing. They said the blade was glowing red, like it was alive."

"What does this have to do with Takasugi?" asked Kagura.

"Like I said, it's not exactly a connection I'm sure exists, but what are the odds of a mysterious Tsujiri with an otherworldly blade and Takasugi's imminent plans to attack Edo have fallen around the same time?" he asked.

Kagura had to concede his point. "Do we know anything else about the blade?" she asked.

"No," said Sougo. "Well, _danna_ was enquiring about one today."

"Gin-chan was?" asked Kagura, surprised.

"I told him what I just told you," said Sougo, and then glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes before sighing. "Oi, China, did you really forget?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Forget what?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes and reached into his jacket. "Here," he said, tossing her a familiar red box of sukonbu. "Your vile food. Happy Birthday."

Kagura caught the box numbly, vaguely realising that it actually was her 17th birthday that day. She had been so absorbed with everything that she had completely forgotten her it, which was utterly unlike herself. Usually, she planned weeks in advance for the sort of day she wanted and refused to take up jobs if they would take away from her birthday plans. For her to completely forget to even plan anything, not to mention the day itself, was more than a rarity. It was almost an impossibility.

"You really did forget, huh," smirked Sougo.

Kagura blinked and opened the box to avoid meeting his gaze. "Thanks," she mumbled embarrassedly, picking up a piece of sukonbu and putting it into her mouth. She saw his smirk a moment too late as fire exploded on her tongue at the piece of sukonbu which had clearly been drenched in tabasco sauce. Eyes watering, she spit out the piece from her mouth while sweat beaded on her forehead and her face grew red. "You bastard!" she shouted.

Sougo chuckled darkly and pulled out his phone to click a picture. A moment later, Kagura's phone (that had been issued to her by the Shinsengumi after starting work for them formally) buzzed and she flipped it open to see that he had sent her the picture of her beet red face, with her eyes watering, tongue sticking out and all.

"I hate you," snapped Kagura, glaring viciously.

"Really? After I was considerate enough to give you a present on your birthday? Talk about ungrateful," he said, shaking his head.

Kagura thumped him in the shoulder, hitting hard enough to bruise. "Fine, then take some birthday punches too," she said, feeling better when she saw him wince in pain. Something else occurred to her then. "How did you know?" she asked, looking at him in confusion. "That it was my birthday, I mean."

He scowled but reached into his jacket and handed her a thin, long rectangular flat box. It was wrapped in gaudy pink gift wrap with fluorescent bubble letters that said 'happy birthday' all over in bright blue. "This came for you at the compound," he said.

Kagura accepted the box, recognising her father's writing on the small label stuck to it. Feeling herself smile despite the horrible wrapping paper, she tore it open. Her eyes went wide with shock when she saw a brand new umbrella handle laying neatly in the box. The umbrella she carried now had a cheap handle that she'd bought hastily before coming to Edo after breaking her old one. The new one that her father had sent was a beautifully carved handle, more traditionally Yato in design, and Kagura knew it had to be a custom job.

There was a folded note under the handle and Kagura set the gift aside for the time being to read it.

 _Dear Kagura,_

 _I hope this gets to you in time for your birthday. It was a rush job but I had one of my old contacts make this for you. It is important to take care of your weapon. Remember, it is a part of you, just as your arms and legs are. I hope you like it. Happy Birthday._

 _\- Papi_

Kagura immediately began replacing her umbrella's handle with the new one. She realised Sougo was watching intently but didn't feel inclined to hide what she was doing. Despite looking like an ordinary umbrella outwardly, the Yato weapon was composed of many complex parts made precisely to fit the user's needs. It could be taken apart piece by piece just like any gun, and once she had replaced the handle, she tested the grip and found it much more suited to her than the plain handle from before.

"I always wondered how it worked," commented Sougo, once she was done.

Kagura raised an eyebrow. "You want to try it?" she asked.

He looked surprised, but nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Next time we spar, you can use this, but only if I get your katana," she said, nodding towards his hip where his sword was sheathed.

An odd look passed over his face and Kagura saw his eyes flare with intrigue. "Fine," he said, lips curling into a smile.

Kagura felt an odd zing in the pit of her stomach, but before she could think too much about it, she noticed that it had gotten pretty dark. Their bench was right by a streetlight so she hadn't noticed it before, but the sun had been down for a while now. Sougo seemed to notice it too and stood up, stretching his arms as he did.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go home."

Kagura stood up, and at the exact same moment the two of them turned as one when they heard the sound of a bridge collapsing. It appeared to be coming from further down the river, and they only exchanged a brief look before taking off running in that direction. The sound of clashing swords was heard as they approached, and then it grew quiet for a moment before a loud shout broke through the air and there was a distinct sound of something heavy falling into the river.

They finally got close enough and the full moon broke through the clouds to light the area they were in. Kagura's eyes grew wide when she saw a heavily bleeding Gintoki leaning against the wall while a trembling Shinpachi stood defending him with a sword, their opponent a man she had never seen before.

Sougo jumped down next to Shinpachi immediately and drew his sword. "Hitokiri Nizou," he said, apparently identifying the man.

"Tch," said Nizou. "Some troublesome people have shown up." He turned and fled, and Kagura zeroed her focus on him and took off after Nizou. He was wily as he moved, the dark seemingly no hindrance and she remembered vaguely that he was said to be blind. Still, Kagura kept on his trail, knowing he would lead her to where Takasugi was. He seemed to have lost an arm, and Kagura deduced that Shinpachi must have been the one to take it.

Finally, Nizou reached the port and went aboard one of the ships parked there. Kagura waited in the shadows, realising that she had been so focused on Nizou that she had taken off by herself. She took a moment to calm down and pulled out her phone. Clicking a picture of the ship, she sent it to Sougo. She would have waited for a reply, but her phone died moments after she had sent the message.

"Stupid battery life," she grumbled, putting it away.

She debated turning around to go back, especially when she remembered how badly Gintoki had been injured. Going onto the ship by herself, if it really did have Takasugi and the Kiheitai on board, was too dangerous, even for her. On the other hand, her target was so close, she could smell it.

"Yosh," she murmured to herself. "I'll just sneak in and have a look around. I sent for backup, so I'll have them if something goes wrong."

With that, she waited until the moon went back behind the clouds and left her hiding place by the docks, moving like a shadow to make it past the patrols to get onto the ship. They were samurai, as far as she knew, nothing extraordinary in skill but no pushovers either. She didn't want to engage them if she could make it to Takasugi and take him out quickly.

She finally made it onboard the ship, and could hear most of them below deck. The upper deck was stacked with boxes and crates, but was empty save for one man dressed in a purple kimono with bright golden butterflies on it. The moon peeked out once again, casting silvery moonlight onto the ship's upper deck. Kagura blinked slowly and approached the man slowly.

"Oi," she said, pointing her umbrella at the back of the smoking man's head. "Are you Takasugi Shinsuke? Talk fast or I'll blow your head off."

He blew smoke from his lips and turned around slowly, and her senses registered what she had suspected. It was indeed Takasugi Shinsuke, and even though only one of his eyes was uncovered, Kagura saw a sort of madness in him that made her take an involuntary step back. He smelled much more dangerous than she had anticipated.

"Yare yare, I was expecting Kaguya-hime, but a tomboy princess showed up instead," he said, smiling as he looked at her, the gesture utterly bone-chilling.

She was prepared to attack, when the back of her neck buzzed and she dodged out of the way of the bullets that fired where she had been standing moments before. A blonde woman wielding dual pistols emerged from the shadows.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded. "What do you think you're doing to Shinsuke-sama?"

It wasn't just her as Kagura realised that there were samurai hiding in the shadows waiting to attack. She had to think quickly. If she went after Takasugi now, she would have a hard time fighting him and the Kiheitai at the same time.

"First, the minions," decided Kagura, and turned away from Takasugi.

The woman fired at her again, but Kagura dodged expertly, firing off a few bullets. She quickly had to look away when a bright spotlight shone directly onto her, and it showed her that she was completely surrounded.

"Everyone," said the creepy man standing near the spotlight. "Please don't hurt her too much. We want her alive, remember."

"Takechi-senpai, that girl snuck onto our ship and you want to invite her to chat? There's a limit to being a lolicon," snapped the woman angrily.

"I'm not a lolicon, I'm a feminist," he said.

Kagura didn't care much either way as she realised that this was likely Takechi Henpeita, the Kiheitai strategist which would make the woman, Kijima Matako, the sharpshooter. Kagura ignored their banter and charged through the samurai with ease, their numbers not helping them in the slightest when faced with her skill. She had to dispose of the extras quickly before turning her full attention to Takasugi, and she could not afford to be distracted by anyone when fighting him. It would literally be the death of her otherwise.

She had defeated nearly every standing samurai sent to fight her, when she felt a searing pain in her leg and shoulder, making her fall down. Gritting her teeth against the pain of being shot twice, Kagura turned around and charged at Matako, sending her flying with a punch. She landed near Takasugi, and Kagura got rid of the few remaining samurai on deck, as the pain began to grow worse.

It happened suddenly enough for her to deflect the critical strike but not enough to prevent it from hitting her completely, as Takasugi finally attacked. It was a single slash of his sword and if her reflexes had been even the slightest bit slower than they were, Kagura would have lose her left arm. She managed to parry his attack with her umbrella, but he still managed to cut her arm deeply, as the wound gushed blood. Kagura retaliated immediately, landing a solid kick to his arm, the blow hitting hard enough to draw blood. He seemed to ignore the wound and appeared to be in no hurry to continue fighting, as if this fight was more of an afterthought rather than something to be treated seriously.

"You're the Yato that the Bakufu dogs called in to kill me, eh?" he asked, as Kagura jumped away from him to catch her breath. Behind him, she saw Matako get up slowly and aim her gun at Kagura, despite bleeding heavily from the head. "Too bad," he said, the glint of madness in his eye becoming more apparent. "I don't plan to die just yet. Not before I destroy everything else."

Kagura assessed the situation quickly. It had been some time she had sent the text to Sougo. If backup was on its way, it had to be close. Most of the Kiheitai were down for now, but she could hear more of them, not to mention Takasugi, Matako, and she assumed Nizou, were probably capable of fighting still. She was down an arm after having been shot in the shoulder and then cut by Takasugi, and it still hurt to stand because of the bullet wound to her leg. She had to retreat and heal up, or she would end up dead.

Firing off a few rounds at Takasugi, Kagura ran towards the inside of the ship, making sure to shoot at anyone who tried to follow her. She noticed Takasugi flicking her blood off his sword and putting it away but he didn't follow her and just waited as Matako and a few of the injured samurai did. Kagura rounded the corner into a strange room full of glass containers emitting an eerie pink glow and stopped short.

"What the hell?" she murmured, eyes going wide with shock.

She felt rather than heard someone behind her and dodged into a dark corner quickly, relieved when the bullet missed her.

"Find her!" shouted Matako. "We can't let that brat leave now that she's seen this."

Kagura hobbled along the wall, keeping to the shadows, thankful for the nooks and crannies in the room. She felt like she had almost dodged all her attackers, when she felt someone grab her and hold a hand over her mouth. Reacting in an instant, she reared back to attack, when her captor spoke in a whisper.

"Leader, it's me."

Recognising Katsura's voice, Kagura went still and slowly turned around. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw Elizabeth instead of Katsura. Before she could question it, the 'beak' opened and Katsura poked his face out. He looked like he'd had a sleepless night and his usual long hair was shorn unevenly.

"What happened to you?" asked Kagura, in a whisper.

"It's a long story," he said, and beckoned her to follow him.

Kagura hobbled along behind him as he led her to a small storage room, ushering her inside before walking in and closing the door. Once they were in, he took off the Elizabeth costume and sighed as he took in her appearance.

"Are you injured badly?" he asked.

"Not more than you, I think," she said, nodding at a visible cut on his torso.

"I have Hitokiri Nizou to thank for this one," he grimaced.

"He got to Gin-chan too," said Kagura, leaning against the wall for support. "Shinpachi stopped him and he fled back here so I followed him. You?"

"After Nizou struck me down, he thought he'd killed me, so I decided to play dead and find out what was going on," said Katsura, a grim look on his face.

"Did you find out what they're doing? All those things outside, they looked like swords, but not any kind I have ever seen," said Kagura, frowning.

"I heard Takasugi and the man who made that sword discussing it while I was hiding out here," said Katsura. "The swordsmith, Tetsuya, he made the Benizakura sword. It's the sword Nizou used to cut me down and I'm guessing he went after Gintoki with it as well. The swords have Amanto modifications on it. The specifics are not known to me, but I know they have been designed to learn from combat and evolve."

"Are you saying the swords...grow stronger, somehow?" asked Kagura.

"Yes, and they begin to take over the wielder so they can be nigh unbeatable," said Katsura. "Nizou has the first Benizakura sword, and all those other swords out there have been modelled after it." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Takasugi plans to arm Jouishishi with those, and engulf Edo in a sea of fire and battle."

Kagura stared at him, stunned, but the ship gave a sudden lurch and began moving. "They're taking off?" she asked.

"I'm guessing they want to make sure you don't escape, so they won't wait in the port anymore," said Katsura. "This is good, actually."

"How is it good? I was waiting for backup," said Kagura.

"I rigged the room outside with explosives," said Katsura. "If we're in flight, we can destroy the whole thing in one swoop."

"How do we escape after that?" asked Kagura.

"I have many methods of escape," said Katsura, as if her doubt was a great insult.

"Fine," said Kagura, letting it go for the moment. "But Takasugi is here. I have to go after him."

"You're in no condition to go after him right now," he said.

"No, but give me some time and I will have healed enough," said Kagura, stubbornly.

"Leader," he said, shaking his head. "It's more important to stop Takasugi's insane plan from succeeding than making sure he's dead." He crossed his arms and sighed. "Besides, I am not leaving until I talk some sense into that idiot. For better or for worse, he is my friend and my comrade. I have to do my part to stop him."

"Words won't stop him," said Kagura. "I saw the look in his eye. Gin-chan was right. He is like a beast ready to destroy everything that stands in his way."

Katsura smiled sadly. "I know," he admitted. "But I have to try. Like I said, the idiot is our responsibility, and I can't have Gintoki alone taking on this burden as well. He has been through enough."

Kagura wondered what that was about, but Katsura did not look like he wanted to expand on it. "I can't make any promises," she said, finally. "If it comes down to it, I will have to do my job, but I can at least grant you the courtesy of going first. I know a thing or two about being responsible for an idiot who only rampages like a beast."

"I will take it," said Katsura, inclining his head in a short bow. "Oh, and did you say that backup was on its way?"

"Yeah," said Kagura. "The Shinsengumi will be here soon, oh…" she trailed off, realising that Katsura was a wanted criminal. "I forgot," she mumbled, sheepishly.

Katsura smiled reassuringly. "I can evade the Shinsengumi, don't worry," he said, and then frowned. "Unless you plan on arresting me right now."

Kagura glanced at her arm where the wound was closing up slowly. "Eh, not today," she shrugged. "I am bleeding and exhausted, and it's my birthday. And right now, you're helping to stop a massive terrorist attack on Edo. I can hold off for the time being."

Katsura looked extremely shocked, so much so that Kagura was starting to get embarrassed. "What?" she asked, finally.

"It's your birthday?" he asked.

"That's what you took from all of that?" asked Kagura. "Besides, I'm sure it's close to being over by now."

"That won't do, you should celebrate your birthdays," said Katsura.

Kagura narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you manage to sound more outraged about that than the massive terrorist attack that's about to happen?" she asked, torn between exasperation and wonder.

"Terrorist plots are a part of life for a Jouishishi like me," he said, like it was obvious. "Birthdays are much more special. Don't worry, Leader, just leave it to me. I will make sure this is all taken care of, so you can celebrate your birthday in peace."

Despite being a little frustrated with him still, Kagura couldn't help but smile. "Fine," she agreed. "As long as you buy me a present too. I want 'Wataru Seken wa Onishikaine Konoyaro' on DVD." She tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment. "The Limited Edition boxset."

"Wouldn't that count as bribing a police officer?" asked Katsura, with a smile.

"Ah, guess it can't be helped," shrugged Kagura, returning his smile. "Just help me keep Edo safe, and we'll call it even."


	3. Chapter 3

To say that Okita Sougo was annoyed, was an understatement. One moment he and China had been running to the rescue and the next, both China and Nizou had vanished into the darkness.

"Can you carry him by yourself?" he asked Shinpachi, who had hefted up Gintoki onto his back.

"Yeah," said Shinpachi, his voice and gaze both steady though he had been shaking just a moment ago.

Sougo nodded. He glanced at the shallow river and saw Nizou's severed arm lying in it, before turning back to Shinpachi. "You did well," he told him. "Look after your boss and leave the rest to the cops for now."

Ignoring Shinpachi's look of surprise, Sougo took off in the same direction as Kagura. He had enough faith in him that he would protect Gintoki, no matter what. Sougo's responsibility was the irreverent brat who was his partner.

"Dammit, China," he cursed, under his breath. He had followed in the direction she and Nizou had gone to the best of his ability but he had no idea where they could be. The streets of Edo were deserted since everyone stayed inside from fear of Tsujigiri, and there were no witnesses to question. After running around in circles for a while, Sougo was beginning to lose patience, when his phone chimed with a message from Kagura.

It was only the picture of a ship, but she had taken it in a way that showed the name, insignia and the general appearance of the ship.

"Good job," muttered Sougo, quickly dialling Hijikata. If she had followed Nizou, then Takasugi was likely on that ship. They had to gather backup and make it to the ship as soon as possible. "Put down the mayonnaise and listen. China has tracked down Takasugi. I am sending you the details now," he said, as soon as Hijikata had answered.

"Sougo? What the hell? Start from the beginning," said Hijikata.

"No time," said Sougo, interrupting his tirade. "I'm coming back to the compound. You might also want Totsan to get us a ship, because if they take off we would be able to follow them."

He heard him sigh. "Fine, send me the details and get back here," said Hijikata.

Sougo ended the call and forwarded him the photo of the ship. He tried calling Kagura as he hurried to the compound but the call wouldn't connect. He had made it part way home when one of the newer members from Inuyama's squad came to pick him up in a squad car. Yuusuke, Sougo thought his name might have been.

" _Taichou_ , Hijikata-san asked me to bring you to the port directly," he said. "Matsudaira-san gave permission to take a ship."

Sougo jumped into the car. "Step on it, they might have already left port," he said.

"Do you think Kagura-san is on the ship as well?" asked Yuusuke, as he drove.

"I don't doubt that for a second," said Sougo, and then noticed Yuusuke smile. "What?" he asked, irritated.

Yuusuke quickly attempted to correct his expression. "Nothing, Okita- _taichou_ ," he said, shrinking in the driver's seat.

Too late though, as Sougo drew his sword and held it to his neck. "Two seconds to part with what's so funny or your head will be parted from your body," he threatened calmly.

Yuusuke squeaked in fear and sweat beaded on his forehead. "I-it's just that…" he stopped and gulped nervously.

"One," said Sougo, moving the sword closer to Yuusuke's neck and pressing it into the skin..

Yuusuke let out a frightened yelp. "I just noticed that you and Kagura-san are really close to one another," he blurted out quickly. "That's all."

"Eh, really?" drawled Sougo, digging the sword in further without actually drawing blood. "You would not be implying something inappropriate now, would you?"

"N-no, not at all, Okita- _taichou_ ," said Yuusuke, and Sougo could tell he was telling the truth.

"Hmm," said Sougo, lowering his sword and putting it away. "Fine then."

Yuusuke exhaled in relief. "I mean, it would be unprofessional to say something inappropriate like that. I received an earful from Inuyama-san about disrespecting Kagura-san that way," he said. "Besides, everyone agrees that she would never..." He stopped suddenly and realised the new hole he had begun digging after barely climbing out of the last one.

"Oh?" asked Sougo, not drawing his sword this time, but his eyes glinted maliciously at Yuusuke.

"Look, we're here," said Yuusuke, quickly pulling up near the other squad cars parked near the docks and running out. "I'll go report in to Inuyama-san and Harada- _taichou_ ," he added, and fled.

Sougo rolled his eyes as he got out of the car slowly. Apparently, no one had told the newbie that Sougo could hold a grudge better than anyone and that he would track him down after this matter was taken care of to punish him. It did make him think, though. Apparently, the troops had been gossiping, which wasn't a surprise since they were worse than Edo housewives and old people combined when it came to that. What surprised him though was that people seemed to be of the opinion that of the two of them, Kagura would be the one to turn him down. The implication, of course, being that Sougo was not good enough for her.

"Tch," he said, annoyed. It wasn't as if he wanted the brat anyway, he just found it insulting.

Dark clouds of irritation and frustration seemed to form around him and the gathered troops shuddered in fear at the extra torturous punishment they would be getting because of his bad mood.

"Oi, stop glaring and focus," said Hijikata, as Sougo walked up to him, Kondo, Yamazaki and Harada.

"I am focusing, Hijikata-san," said Sougo, sounding unperturbed despite the dark aura around him. "Focusing on how many ways I can kill you once we get on this ship."

"I heard that," he said.

"Well done, Hijikata-san," he praised, making sure to sound extra condescending. "If you want to hear any better, I can give your ears a thorough cleaning," he added, drawing his sword.

"Now, now, stop it, you two," said Kondo, intervening before Hijikata drew his sword as well which he appeared to be on the verge of doing. "Toshi, let's brief the men and go do our part to keep Edo safe."

"Got it, Kondo-san," said Hijikata, nodding calmly. "Listen up, you lot," he shouted, looking out at the troops who all quickly snapped to attention. "Late this evening, we got intelligence that Hitokiri Nizou is the Tsujigiri who has been targeting Edo these past few days. We already suspect Nizou of working with Takasugi, and Kagura's intel has led us to a ship that we believe has Takasugi and the Kiheitai on board. Unfortunately, the ship has left port, but we have enough information to track it down. Now, get on board!"

The troops quickly filed onto the ship, as did the officers and Yamazaki.

"Oi, Yamazaki, go ask the navigation team if they tracked down the ship yet," ordered Hijikata, and Yamazaki saluted and left.

"Have you been able to call Kagura-san?" asked Kondo, looking slightly worried.

"No," said Sougo. "She probably wore out the battery playing games on it again."

"She'll be fine, Kondo-san," said Hijikata, ignoring Sougo. "She can take out the ship by herself if she wants."

"Wait, really?" asked Harada, confused.

"Yeah," said Kondo. "But I'm glad she turned to us for back up anyway."

Harada leaned in closer to Sougo. "Has she done this before?" he asked, and then looked speculative. "That Harusame ship before, was that her?"

Sougo gave him a blank look, neither to confirm nor deny it, but he knew Harada would work it out anyway. Man was a hothead but he wasn't stupid. Moments later, Harada's eyes went wide and he nodded to himself.

"Flowers and Dom Peri then," he muttered.

Sougo wondered what the hell he was talking about but then remembered him saying he wanted to send flowers and Dom Peri to the one who had taken out the Paradise-dealing Harusame criminals. Knowing Harada, he would spend his next paycheck entirely on that, just to get the gift to Kagura. While usually Sougo liked or even admired Harada's resolve to follow through on his word no matter what, his mood only worsened when he heard it now. He turned away before he did something stupid like pull out his sword to threaten Harada. With what or even why, he had no idea, but the idea of him giving Kagura flowers and gifts was just...annoying.

Thankfully, Yamazaki returned with an update and everyone's attention turned to him. "They've spotted the ship," he said. "We'll be in range to board in five minutes."

"Sougo, Harada, rally your squads," said Hijikata. "Yamazaki, you and the spies will stay on this ship. We'll call if we need more backup, but two squads should be enough for now. Give us covering fire as we board."

"Kondo-san, you should stay back too," said Sougo, focusing back on the mission at hand and ignoring all the errant thoughts occupying his irritable mind.

"I agree," said Hijikata. "Takasugi and Nizou are bad enough. Who knows what else they have on board that ship. Just leave it to us, Kondo-san."

The enemy ship was now coming into view, but Kondo just smiled serenely at them. "One of our own is on that ship, battling the enemy for us," he said. "What kind of a commander would I be if I stayed in the safety of our ship and just sent off my men into battle?"

"We'll bring her back safely, Kondo-san," assured Hijikata.

"Even so," said Kondo, as their ship pulled up right by the enemy ship. The first shots were fired by them to provide a distraction so the troops could climb on board. He was the first one to step up to the ramp between the two ships. "I must always lead." Kondo kept his eyes trained on the troops and his officers as he took his first step...and missed.

They all watched him fall between the gap of the two ships, screaming as he fell. Once he had disappeared past the clouds, Hijikata and Sougo just looked at each other and shrugged in unison.

"Well, let's go," said Hijikata, drawing his sword and pointing towards the enemy ship. "Charge, Shinsengumi!"

* * *

Kagura raised an eyebrow when the ship was rocked by cannon fire. "Finally! Took them long enough," she said. Before she had a chance to say anything else, they felt another explosion hit the ship, this one from the other side. "Eh? How many ships did they bring?"

Katsura calmly began putting the Elizabeth costume back on. "Leader, I fear we must part ways now," he said. "Go help your comrades and leave me to destroy the Benizakura swords."

"Be careful, Zura," said Kagura, giving him a piercing look.

He held up a sign that said 'It's not Zura, it's Katsura' and then turned it around to say 'you should be careful too'. Kagura didn't know how the signs worked, but decided to ask him some other time. Leaving Katsura behind, she stepped out of the storage room silently, grateful that her wounds had healed enough for her to fight in the time they had been waiting. She could hear chaotic screams and sounds of battle coming from the upper deck, but there were a lot more people than she thought there would be.

As she passed by a window, she saw that the people who were fighting were a mix of Shinsengumi, Kiheitai, and Jouishishi that she was sure were from Katsura's faction. The other cannon fire they had heard must have come from them, she realised. Well, at least, they were loyal to Katsura and willing to fight Takasugi, despite being on the same side, really.

Kagura snuck onto the deck of the ship, her eyes darting all over to find Takasugi. She had promised Zura first shot at him, but she would still be keeping an eye on her target. Unfortunately, Takasugi was nowhere in sight, at least near the bow of the ship. All she saw were Shinsengumi, Kiheitai, Katsura's Jouishishi, and Shinpachi…?

Fighting her way through with ease to where Shinpachi was fighting off some of the Kiheitai with Elizabeth (the real one, she had to assume), Kagura looked at him in surprise.

"Shinpachi, what are you doing?" asked Kagura, helping him fight.

"Kagura-chan?" he asked, equally surprised to see her. "I should be asking you that."

"How's Gin-chan?" she asked, as the two of them fought side by side.

"I left him in _Aneue_ 's care," said Shinpachi. "Is Katsura-san…?"

"He's fine," said Kagura, and noticed Elizabeth perk up from the corner of her eye. "You should hurry up and leave. This ship won't be standing for long."

As if on cue, a loud explosion rang through the interior and they both had to grab onto the nearby railing to avoid losing their footing.

"Was that Katsura-san?" asked Shinpachi, as they stood back up.

"Yeah, come on, I'll take you to the Shinsengumi ship," said Kagura, grabbing his arm.

They started to fight their way over to the Shinsengumi ship, but were waylaid as they came upon Hitokiri Nizou engaged in battle with Hijikata.

"Hijikata-san!" called out Shinpachi in concern.

"Move it, he can handle himself," they heard as Sougo dropped down in front of them.

It was true enough as the demon Vice Chief of the Shinsengumi went toe to toe with the manslayer holding the bizarre glowing sword.

"No, you don't understand," said Kagura, alarmed. "That sword...it will only grow stronger if he continues fighting."

"What?" asked Shinpachi, looking at her in surprise.

"What are you talking about, China?" asked Sougo as he, Shinpachi and Kagura all stood back to back fighting off Kiheitai while Hijikata battled Nizou not far off from them.

"The sword he's holding is called Benizakura," she explained. "It has Amanto technology in it. It learns and improves as it fights more people."

As she was explaining, she noticed Matako and the creepy man, Henpeita, head inside the ship. It took her a moment to realise that Katsura's explosion had been contained enough that only the room with the swords had been destroyed, which meant that the rest of the interior was still standing. Finishing off the Kiheitai member in front of her, Kagura took off after Matako and Henpeita since she was sure they were going to Takasugi, and was unsurprised when both Shinpachi and Sougo followed her as well.

"Hijikata-san will be fine," Sougo told her as they ran. "Amanto sword or not, he won't die here."

Kagura almost raised an eyebrow at his confident tone, but chose not to comment on it. Her hunch was proven right when they reached inside and came face to face with both Matako and Henpeita, behind whom stood Takasugi, who looked none too pleased about the damage done to the Benizakura swords.

When he saw them, he merely smirked and left towards the stern of the ship. Kagura would have loved to follow him but she saw a certain duck-like Amanto costume follow him out, so she focused on the two obstacles in their way knowing that Zura wouldn't let Takasugi out of his sight.

"Senpai," said Matako, holding up both of her guns. "We are outnumbered."

"Yes, I can see that," said Henpeita, as they heard the sound of an arriving ship. "Fortunately, backup is here."

"What are you talking about?" asked Shinpachi, glaring at them. "Who is here?"

"Don't worry, they are here for the young lady," said Henpeita.

"For me?" asked Kagura, surprised.

"You didn't think the Harusame would forgive the loss of their entire ship and product, did you?" asked Henpeita, as the doors behind them opened and Harusame began filing in.

"Okita-san, please take Kagura-chan to safety," said Shinpachi, turning around and readying his sword. "I'll clear a path for you."

"That's a nice sentiment, _megane_ , but it's the police officer's duty to clear traffic," said Sougo.

Kagura rolled her eyes and charged towards Henpeita and Matako. Matako quickly fired off shots and she didn't dodge them this time, catching them easily in her hands and teeth. As she reached Matako, she swept her feet out from under her and kicked Henpeita hard enough to send him careening off into the far end of the stateroom. With Matako on the ground, she picked her up and tossed her after Henpeita, turning her attention back to the Harusame who were being held off by Shinpachi and Sougo, though they were vastly outnumbered.

She was about to go help them when the ceiling above them broke and a mess of wires and machinery fell to the ground in front of her. In the depths of it, she saw a heavily injured Gintoki.

"Gin-chan!" she shouted, but he slowly got to his feet before she could approach him. It took her a moment to realise that the wires were all coming from Nizou's body.

"Stay back," he said, his voice hoarse but strong enough.

Kagura nodded and turned back to fight off the Harusame, and between the three of them, they managed to take out a number of them.

"This is your chance, get out of here. I'll stay with Gin-san," said Shinpachi, noticing the thinning numbers.

Kagura turned to tell Shinpachi there was no way she was leaving, but Sougo gave her a look. "If they're after you, more of them will show up," he said. "Keeping you out of sight is the best way. Come on."

Despite not wanting to go, Kagura could see his point. Leaving Shinpachi, she and Sougo went out onto the upper deck, only to see that nearly the entire place was full of Harusame. Even the Shinsengumi were getting overwhelmed because of sheer numbers.

"Tch," muttered Sougo. "Stay here," he said, pushing her out of sight and walking out. "Shinsengumi, retreat!" he ordered loudly.

Kagura did not deign to obey him. "Oi, it's me you want, you lowlife bastards," she said, stepping out in the clear view of the Harusame. "Try and lay a hand on me, scum."

The Harusame abandoned fighting with the Shinsengumi and Katsura's men, which had been her aim and came for her as soon as they saw her. She was flattered, really, that they thought her to be enough of a nuisance to send so many of them after her.

With a vicious smile, she began fighting her way through the Harusame pirates, not holding back in the slightest. The numbers were overwhelming, even for her, so when she took a hit, she would have been injured worse if not for Sougo intervening.

"Losing your touch there, China?" he asked, cutting down the bastard who had nearly managed to make her lose her weapon.

"You should be retreating," she said, though there was a part of her that was grateful that she could feel his back against hers as they stood facing overwhelming numbers.

"Didn't you hear me? I called for the Shinsengumi to retreat," he said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. "That includes you."

Despite their situation, his words made her feel warm. "Tch, I don't take orders from you," she said, continuing to cut down the enemies in front of her.

"I outrank you, you know," he snapped, throwing an enemy to her that she cut down.

She made to retort back, but she saw Shinpachi and Gintoki fighting their way to them. Behind them, she saw Katsura, Elizabeth, a few of Katsura's men, and a blue-haired girl wearing an orange jumpsuit.

" _Yare yare_ , all this for one girl?" asked Gintoki. "Kagura-chan, you really made them mad, huh?"

"Should you be fighting still?" asked Kagura, glad to notice that he was fine enough to joke despite being heavily injured. "Old man," she added, cheekily.

"I heard that, brat," he shot, and then his stance shifted. The Harusame paused in their attacks, seeing that the numbers were increased. "Okita-kun, isn't the Shinsengumi supposed to leave?"

"Yeah, but I spot a rather big fish next to you, _danna_ ," he said, and Kagura realised he must be talking about Katsura.

"You can try to arrest me if you want, First Division Captain Okita Sougo-dono," said Katsura, without missing a beat. "But Gintoki and I will cut a path for all of you, regardless."

"Gin-chan, Zura, why-?" Kagura started to ask, stunned.

"Just leave it to us," said Katsura, interrupting before she could finish her words. "Right, Gintoki?"

"We always pay our debts," said Gintoki, and then smiled softly at her. "We are partially responsible for them coming after you, remember?"

"Gin-chan, I…" she began, but then he and Katsura both smiled encouragingly at her and she nodded once. "Alright. Just this time, though."

"Fine, fine," said Gintoki. "Okita-kun?"

Kagura glanced at Sougo and saw him sigh. "Fine, just this time," he said, and grabbed Kagura's arm. "Let's go, China."

She let him lead her back towards the Shinsengumi ship, the two of them fighting off enemies in their path. She also heard people coming up behind them but they were cut down by Gintoki and Katsura before they reached her. They made it onto the ship where an injured but alert Hijikata looked slightly relieved to see them.

"They're here! Take us down to the docks," ordered Hijikata.

The ship began to move away and Kagura turned back to see that Elizabeth had taken Shinpachi and the blue-haired girl to the ship with Katsura's men, leaving only Gintoki and Katsura to fight off the Harusame, which they were doing really, really well. Kagura was a little mesmerised by watching them fight in perfect coordination.

As the Shinsengumi ship departed, she stole one last glance back at the Harusame ship where Takasugi stood smoking, standing next to a man holding a shamisen and wearing headphones. Takasugi's eye caught hers for a moment, but he looked right back to where Gintoki and Katsura were fighting, with a slight smirk on his face. In his hand was a book of some sort, and despite knowing he was her enemy, Kagura thought he looked rather sorrowful.

The clouds obscured her sight then as they descended back to Earth, leaving the battle behind them.

* * *

"Some heavy injuries, but no casualties, thankfully," said Hijikata. "It was a good call to order them to retreat. Kagura told me about the the Benizakura swords, but as long they were destroyed, that's all that matters."

Sougo nodded absently. "What happened on your end?" he asked.

"I fought Nizou until the Yorozuya bastard showed up to take over," he said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"I'm surprised you let _danna_ fight him," said Sougo.

"I'm surprised you let Katsura go free," said Hijikata, though he didn't sound particularly miffed.

Sougo glanced to the other side of the deck where Kagura was staring at the ocean below with a small frown on her face. "There were other priorities," he said, turning back to Hijikata.

Hijikata took a drag and slowly blew out smoke. "Katsura's men fought the Kiheitai and Harusame alongside us, so it's better to let it go this time. Not to mention, Katsura himself destroyed the Benizakura swords," he said. "Takasugi and Harusame teaming up is not good news, but at least, we managed to stop their plan from succeeding."

"Yeah, feels like a pattern," said Sougo, though even he could take this victory for what it was as the Captain of the First Division. The more instinctual part of him, however, was smarting at the thought of Takasugi still breathing free air. "What about Kondo-san?" he asked, changing the subject.

"He's fine," said Hijikata, rolling his eyes. "He's down by the docks. I'll brief him when we get there."

Sougo nodded and left his side to walk up to Kagura, who looked at him inquiringly when he stood next to her, leaning his back against the ship's railing so he could look at her.

"So, you know Katsura, huh?" he asked, coming right out and asking her.

To her credit, she didn't attempt to lie. "Yeah, I didn't know he was a wanted criminal when we first met but we teamed up to take the Harusame down the first time," she admitted.

"I thought you fought alone," he said.

"I did," she nodded. "The Harusame had taken Shinpachi hostage, so I helped him and Gin-chan get onto their ship. They left once they had rescued Shinpachi, and I took out the ship." She chuckled lightly and shook her head. "I can't believe the Harusame found out I was responsible for it."

"It's not a laughing matter, idiot," he chastised.

"Oh, I know," she said, meeting his gaze seriously. "It was bound to happen, though. And isn't this the way it's supposed to be? Do you want to tell me you haven't got a few organisations gunning for your head too?"

He rolled his eyes, but didn't deny her words. "They'll come after you again, you know," he said.

She smirked at him. "Are you worried about me, Sadist?" she asked.

"As if," he said, lazily. "I would just hate for you to die before I get to kill you."

"Right, of course," she smiled, which then dimmed a little. "Takasugi got away from me again, huh?"

Sougo could have shared in the disappointment, but chose to be the officer he was rather than the manslayer he kept under careful control. "We were outnumbered back there," he said, rationally. "It would have been useless if we charged in there with the people we had and suffered massive casualties to get one man. We were not expecting him to get the Harusame on his side, but we will be better prepared the next time. Don't forget that we dealt a heavy blow to them this time, even if things ended in a stalemate."

She didn't look too convinced. "Maybe I should have just taken him out when I had the chance last night," she muttered. "I decided to take out his backup first, instead."

"Are you an idiot?" he demanded bluntly, unperturbed when she glared at him. "If you took him on when he had people helping him, you wouldn't be standing here." He abandoned his rationalisations and decided to give it to her straight. "I hate that he got away too, but stow the second-guessing. It's not like you to question your judgment."

Kagura narrowed her eyes at him. "The hell do you know about my judgment, Sadist?" she demanded.

"When it comes to day to day stuff, I question everything about it," he said. "But when it comes to fighting, I know you're too skilled to not make the right call in a given situation."

To his surprise, her cheeks went pink and he realised that he'd said something that was rather out of character for him. He didn't care though, and refused to look away until she did.

"Fine," she said, glancing away at last. He noticed a small smile on her lips, and relaxed involuntarily. "We'll get him next time."

Sougo nodded, noticing that they were almost at the docks. He stretched his arms slightly, wincing when he realised that he'd taken a few hits in the fight which he needed to get looked at once they were back at the compound.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Kagura, sounding like her usual self once again. "We are sparring with each other's weapons, right? Do you want to do it tomorrow when everyone else is at morning training?"

Sougo had actually forgotten he'd promised it, and just like when she had mentioned it then, he felt a sharp flick on his spine like static electricity. Kagura probably had no idea how important a samurai's sword was to him, and to ask him to entrust it to her was a bigger deal than she probably could comprehend. Even if she was parting with her precious weapon as well, it felt oddly personal to hand over what was essentially a part of his soul to her.

Despite all the implications involved, Sougo still wanted to go through with it though. A lot of it had to do with his own curiosity about how she would go about fighting with a sword, and how he'd do with a new weapon, the likes of which many people would never even see, let alone get to touch. Sparring with Kagura was a game that had been evolving constantly since they had met, and Sougo really did want to see where it would take him.

"Sure," he agreed. "Tomorrow, then."

* * *

"So boring," muttered Kamui, sitting on the table in his room. He had finished taking his umbrella apart and putting it back together, simply to have something to do. The doors to his quarters opened and Abuto stepped in. "Abuto!" said Kamui, sitting up. "Give me good news, especially after Aho sent some useless thugs to fight the super strong Amanto on Earth."

Abuto sighed and closed the door after himself. "I don't know if you are going to like this, _dancho_ ," he said.

"Is it about Earth?" asked Kamui, swinging his legs happily.

"Yeah, the squad they sent today suffered quite a few losses and failed to get their target, who managed to escape," he said.

"So we're being sent now?" asked Kamui, boredom lifting instantly.

"In a manner of speaking," said Abuto. "We still have to finish off our usual route to check up on a few other places, but we will eventually have to go to Earth."

"So, why did you think I wouldn't like this, Abuto?" asked Kamui, all business now. "It actually sounds like everything worked out in our favour."

"Yeah, about that, we have confirmation of the Amanto's identity now," said Abuto, reluctantly.

"Didn't we already have that?" asked Kamui. "I thought that's what the samurai came to Aho with."

"Yes, but this time it has been confirmed by Harusame personnel themselves," he said. "We already suspected it, but it's a Yato."

"I told you that would be the case," shrugged Kamui. "Is it someone we know?"

"Kind of," said Abuto, looking extremely reluctant to answer.

Kamui stood up and approached him with a bright smile. "Spit it out, Abuto, I hate guessing games," he said, his voice sweet enough to make Abuto take a step back in fear.

"Right, yes, _dancho_ ," said Abuto. "It's a girl. Not much older than a teenager."

"Who is it?" asked Kamui.

"All they said," said Abuto, "is that she's the spitting image of you, _dancho_."

Kamui's smile dimmed slowly and then brightened once more. "Ah," he said. "I should have known, but I wonder what she's doing on Earth."

" _Dancho_ , is it…?" began Abuto, but Kamui interrupted him.

"Let's set out," said Kamui. "I believe we have been given orders." When he saw Abuto's uncertain look, he smiled once again. "Don't worry, Abuto, we will only go to Earth when it's time." His eyes sparkled speculatively. "It has been a long time since I saw that crybaby," he murmured, "and she finally sounds like she would be worth meeting again."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! The next story will be based on the Yagyuu arc  
**


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